Coast of Aquitaine

The coast of Aquitaine stretches south from the Gironde towards the Adour in a long line of sand and dunes. Atlantic swell moves sand along the shore, while river mouths and tidal channels interrupt the barrier. The entrance to the sheltered basin of Arcachon lies behind shifting banks, and the great dunes rise above beaches exposed to the Bay of Biscay. Navigation along this low coast depends on tides, winds and the changing shape of the sand.